Waiting on Wednesday: The Intimacy Experiment & To Love and to Loathe

The Intimacy Experiment
by Rosie Danon

Expected publication: April 6th 2021
by Berkley Books

Naomi and Ethan will test the boundaries of love in this provocative romance from the author of the ground-breaking debut, The Roommate.

Naomi Grant has built her life around going against the grain. After the sex-positive start-up she cofounded becomes an international sensation, she wants to extend her educational platform to live lecturing. Unfortunately, despite her long list of qualifications, higher ed won't hire her.

Ethan Cohen has recently received two honors: LA Mag named him one of the city's hottest bachelors and he became rabbi of his own synagogue. Taking a gamble in an effort to attract more millennials to the faith, the executive board hired Ethan because of his nontraditional background. Unfortunately, his shul is low on both funds and congregants. The board gives him three months to turn things around or else they'll close the doors of his synagogue for good.

Naomi and Ethan join forces to host a buzzy seminar series on Modern Intimacy, the perfect solution to their problems--until they discover a new one--their growing attraction to each other. They've built the syllabus for love's latest experiment, but neither of them expected they'd be the ones putting it to the test.

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To Love and to Loathe
(The Regency Vows #2)
by Martha Waters

Expected publication: April 6th 2021 by
Atria Books/Simon & Schuster

The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham are infamous among English high society as much for their sharp-tongued bickering as their flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. So shortly after, just before a fortnight-long house party at Elderwild, Jeremy’s country estate, Diana is shocked when Jeremy appears at her home with a very different kind of proposition.

After his latest mistress unfavorably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy is looking for reassurance, so he has gone to the only woman he trusts to be totally truthful. He suggests that they embark on a brief affair while at the house party—Jeremy can receive an honest critique of his bedroom skills and widowed Diana can use the gossip to signal to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover.

Diana thinks taking him up on his counter-proposal can only help her win her wager. With her in the bedroom and Jeremy’s marriage-minded grandmother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Willingham, helping to find suitable matches among the eligible ladies at Elderwild, Diana is confident her victory is assured. But while they’re focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts.

With Martha Waters’s signature “cheeky charm and wonderfully wry wit” (Booklist, starred review), To Love and to Loathe is another clever and delightful historical rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Evie Dunmore.

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•     •     •

Two more upcoming rom-coms for my pick this week, and they both sound so good! I can't wait to read them.

I should also note that To Love and to Loathe is the second book in the series,and I am excited to read the first book with it as well!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Summer Reads: Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner (Audiobook)

Big Summer
by Jennifer Weiner
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: May 5th 2020
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781501133510
Genre: Womens Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery

Audio Narrated By: Danielle Macdonald
Audiobook Length: 10hr 54min
Audio ISBN: 9781797108407
Source: Scribd

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Audible | Libro FM | Scribd

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “nothing short of brilliant” (People) Mrs. Everything returns with an unforgettable novel about friendship and forgiveness set during a disastrous wedding on picturesque Cape Cod.

Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.

Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.

A sparkling novel about the complexities of female friendship, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most. (Goodreads)

Big Summer is the very first book I have ever read by Jennifer Weiner, (though I have had quite a few of her books on my tbr for the longest), and I’m so thrilled to have finally read something by her! This was just the quick read that I didn’t know I needed to get out of my own head for a while.

Let me get this started by saying that Big Summer was not at all what I expected. I went into this book expecting a fun, summer wedding read set at the beach. I totally did not expect the mystery part of the story, and that said mystery that would have me completely hooked. But it did, and I was!

There were a lot of things that I liked about the book. The characters were definitely interesting, even when I thought they all were a suspect. The main character, Daphne, is an Instagram Influencer, but she could definitely get a side gig as a private investigator because she was determined to figure out what happened. She also has really great parents. (I LOVE when there are great parents in a story!)

The setting for the story jumps around a lot, and while I was basically just here for the beach parts, I did enjoy reading about all the other places as well. The storyline for the book was definitely interesting. It was a little slow in a few places, mostly during the backstory parts, but the fast parts definitely made up for that.

Also, I opted to listen to the audio version of this book, and Danielle Macdonald did a fantastic job of narrating the story! I really enjoyed her voices for each of the characters, and she did a great job with the pacing of the story.

Overall; Big Summer may have been my very first read by Jennifer Weiner, but it definitely won’t be my last! I am very much looking forward to reading more books by her soon, and I do think Mrs. Everything will be my next pick. (I’m so excited!) If you’re looking for a fun summer read, do is a great book to add to your list.

My Thoughts: Until it Fades by K.A. Tucker

Until it Fades
by K.A. Tucker
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: June 27th 2017
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781501133381
Genre: New Adult | Contemporary
Source: Netgalley

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Available for Purchase:
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Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania: population two thousand outside of tourist season.

And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed attempt at a relationship, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.

Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works.

For a time.

But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust.

Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine…before the spark fades? (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
Until it Fades is the very first book I've ever read by K.A. Tucker, though I have quite a few of her books on my TBR. I've wanted to read something by her for quite a while now, and Until it Fades sounded like the perfect book to start with. And it was!

The book is full of all kinds of interesting characters, including the main character, Catherine, who has quite the back-story. You can't help but feel for the girl for all that she has been through, and I was able to relate to her in quite a few ways. I definitely appreciated her determination throughout the book, especially when it came to her daughter. And I kind of love Brett Madden for entering her life and turning everything around. The relationship between the two is really sweet, and put a smile on my face more than a few times.

The storyline for the book was really interesting, and made for a very quick read. It's a contemporary novel, which is my most favorite genre, especially lately, and it was a little predictable, but it was just what I needed to read at the moment. I really enjoyed reading the book, and I kind of didn't want it to end!

Overall; Until it Fades was an interesting read, and I'm thrilled to have finally read something by K.A. Tucker. I'm even more excited to read the rest of her books that are on my TBR now, and I'm hoping to get to some of them soon!

Waiting on Wednesday #237 - It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

It Ends With Us
by Colleen Hoover
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: August 2nd 2016
Publisher: Atria Books
ISBN: 9781501110368


Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up. She graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant and has a total soft spot for Lily; and the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head, but Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his no dating rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan, her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all too human characters, “It Ends with Us” is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price. (Goodreads)

I've just recently started reading ALL of the Colleen Hoover books,
and I'm so in love with her stories!!
I added this book to my TBR and pre-ordered it as soon as I heard about it.
It sounds SO good, and I can't wait to read it. :)

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Waiting on Wednesday #197 - November 9 by Colleen Hoover

November 9
by Colleen Hoover
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: November 10th 2015
Publisher: Atria Books
ISBN: 9781501110344



Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

This is a love story between a guy (me) and a girl (Fallon).
I think.
Can it even be considered a love story if it doesn’t end with love?
Mysteries end when the mystery is solved.
Biographies end when the life story has been told.
Love stories should end with love, right?
Maybe I’m wrong, then. Maybe this isn’t a love story. If you ask me…I’d say this might even be considered a tragedy.
Whatever it is—however it ends—I promised I would tell it. So without further ado.

Once upon a time…I met a girl.
The girl. (Goodreads)

I've recently jumped on the Colleen Hoover bandwagon.
Especially after reading Maybe Someday, and finally realizing what I had been missing.
I want to read ALL THE BOOKS FROM COLLEEN HOOVER.

Haha!
But seriously, the summary for this book sounds SO interesting.
Is it a love story? Is it a mystery? Whatever it is, I'm definitely curious to read it!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Losing Hope
(Hopeless, #2)
by Colleen Hoover
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Publication Date: October 8th 2013
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 321
ISBN: 9781476746555
Genre: New Adult | Contemporary
Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs. (Goodreads)

Losing Hope is the second novel that I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, but Colleen Hoover. I read Hopeless a few weeks ago, and really loved the story. I loved reading Losing Hope through Holder’s eyes. It was so different than what I actually expected, but I loved every minute of it.

Dean Holder is such an amazingly complex character. He is filled with so many emotions and with so, so much guilt. For so long he lived with the guilt for the loss of his best childhood friend, and then even more with the loss of his twin sister. I felt his pain in so many ways. Then he meets Sky, and his world completely changes. I love how he felt for Sky, it was so insanely sweet, even at the times he was acting completely insane. It was interesting reading the book from Holder’s point of view, because I often wondered why he did some of the things that he did in Hopeless. Now that I know his story, I love him even more.

Losing Hope follows the same storyline as what is in Hopeless. So we already know what is going to happen. But Hoover still managed to take the same story and add in so much more new information, so that it kept me completely hooked. To be honest, I was really worried about reading this book and it being the exact same story as in the first book, but it wasn’t. Yes, there was some repetition, but not nearly as much as I expected.  And I love all the new stuff that we didn’t get to see in the first book.

Overall; I loved the story in Losing Hope just as much as I did for Hopeless. It was so great seeing Holder’s point of view, because I really loved him since I first met him in Hopeless. This series is really great. If you are a fan of New Adult Contemporary, and you haven’t checked this series out yet, I definitely recommend that you do. These books are totally worth the read. And now I can’t wait to read more from this talented author!

Happy Reading!


Books in this Series:



Hopeless   |   Losing Hope